Indiana Pacers
I think it's safe to say that no one truly envisioned the Indiana Pacers being a top 6 team in the Eastern Conference at any point this season. Looking at the landscape in the Eastern Conference, the 9-6 Pacers have played a bit above their realistic expectation heading into the season. However, there is a lot to like about Indiana, and it all begins with Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton has clearly had a huge impact on the evolving Pacers and this team may just be scratching the surface of what they can be in the future, though they might be a year or two ahead of schedule. And I predict we'll begin to see that as we enter into the second month of the season.
Even with the best offense in the NBA, I don't believe what the Pacers are doing is sustainable with one of the worst defenses in the league. Eventually, that's going to catch up with their recent success. And for such a young team, I'm not sure they're equipped to handle that. What the Pacers have done so far this season is encouraging. But if they refuse to play defense, that's going to be a problem later in the season.